Sen. Don Harmon

Creates the Open Space Financing Act. Authorizes the Department of Natural Resources to issue revenue bonds secured by real estate transfer tax receipts collected and deposited into the Open Space Bond Repayment Fund and the Natural Areas Bond Repayment Fund. Sets forth procedures for issuing the bonds and distributing the bond proceeds. Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that for fiscal year 2005 only, after deposit of 50% of the moneys collected under the Real Estate Transfer Tax Law into the Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund, of the remaining 50%, the first $30,000,000 shall be deposited into the General Revenue Fund and, thereafter, 35% shall be deposited into the OSLAD Fund, and 15% shall be deposited into the NAA Fund. Amends the Illinois Natural Areas Preservation Act. Provides that the Department of Natural Resources shall determine the manner and extent to which property under consideration for acquisition would assist in storm water management, water supply and quality assurance, or other infrastructure needs, but this determination shall not prevent the Department from acquiring property. Amends the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Act. Provides that grants for green infrastructure projects made before December 31, 2008 to units of local government may be conditioned upon the State providing assistance on a 60/40 matching basis. Sets forth additional requirements for grants for green infrastructure projects. Provides that, in considering applications for certain grants, the Department shall give scoring points to the applicants that demonstrate the greatest potential for improving water supply and quality or for reducing the capital, operating, or maintenance costs of meeting water-related infrastructure requirements. Creates the Open Space Bond Repayment Fund and the Natural Areas Bond Repayment Fund. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Poison Control System Act. Directs the Department of Public Health and the Illinois Poison Advisory Board to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of establishing a formula that sets State goals for funding the poison control system. Requires completion of the study by December 31, 2005. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. In calculating supplemental general State aid, provides that, for the 2003-2004 school year and each school year thereafter, "Low-Income Concentration Level" is the low-income eligible pupil count from the most recently available federal census or the low-income eligible pupil count determined by the Department of Human Services based on those students who are eligible for food stamps or Medicaid, whichever pupil count is greater, divided by the Average Daily Attendance of the school district. Effective July 1, 2003.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Makes a stylistic change in provisions concerning the powers and duties of the Department of Human Rights.

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Makes a technical change in a Section that defines "communication device", "communication service", "communication service provider", "unlawful communication device", "manufacture or assembly of an unlawful communication device", "unlawful access device", and "manufacture or assembly of an unlawful access device".

Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning trial by jury.

Amends the Ticket Scalping Act. Provides that any term or condition of the original sale of a ticket to any theater, circus, baseball park, or place of public entertainment or amusement where tickets of admission are sold that purports to limit the terms or conditions of resale of the ticket (including but not limited to the resale price of the ticket) shall be unenforceable, null, and void, if the resale transaction is carried out under certain specified conditions. Provides that the Act does not apply to the sale of tickets of admission to a sporting event, theater, musical performance, or place of public entertainment or amusement of any kind for a price in excess of the printed box office ticket price by a seller engaged in interstate or intrastate commerce on an Internet Auction Listing Service duly registered with the Illinois Office of Banks and Real Estate under the Auction License Act. Provides that the Act does not apply to the sale of tickets of admission to a sporting event, theater, musical performance, or place of public entertainment or amusement of any kind for a price in excess of the printed box office ticket price conducted at an auction solely by or for a not-for-profit organization for charitable purposes.

Creates the Consumer Contract Plain Language Act. Requires that consumer contracts involving $100,000 or less meet certain criteria to be clear and readable. Authorizes the Attorney General to bring an action to restrain the use of a consumer contract that violates the Act.

Appropriates $10 million from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for job training in the Austin Neighborhood in the City of Chicago. Effective July 1, 2004.

Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Repeals the provisions related to costs. Replaces the repealed provisions with provisions regarding costs that are reimbursable, costs recovered by the prevailing party, costs on dismissal, bill of costs, costs after tender, leave to sue or defend as an indigent person, representation by a civil legal services provider, and liens of officers.